why are trucks driving in the middle lane(s)?

Know just what you mean.. I moved to the middle lane on I-95 in Virginia to let a woman come on the interstate. When she passed me (on the right) she was holding a cellphone up to her ear with one hand and "talking with her hands" with her other hand. Not sure who was steering the car. In Florida a young girl on a rice burner was exiting the interstate while running her hand along my trailer. When she passed she stood up on her bikes pegs and turned around facing me. I guess she wanted me to applaud her. A number of times I've had 4 wheelers pass me while the driver was either watching TV or a movie. So far I've only had two 4wheelers come at me at night on the wrong side of the interstate. I like the middle lane too, except when there are faster trucks around me, then I try to stay out of their way.

 

Well after reading you response above I can see that law enforcement education does not make you very bright by definition either. To have to come to this site to have professional drivers tell you why they do something for the safety of all on the road and you question it because it may delay you for two minutes a day indicates why you are former law enforcement.

 

I'm pretty sure most truckers ride in the middle lane on bussy streets and highways with lots of exits for the same reason a 4 wheeler like myself does. They don't feel like riding in the right lane because there are vehicles constantley turning and coming on to the road in that lane and don't feel like slowing down and speeding up and having to switch gears and clutch all the time. They don't want to be in the left lane because it is for passing only. So the best lane they could be in is the middle lane. Just my theory, not rocket science. I do it too in my car.

 

The only problem I see with this is when 4 wheelers do this and stay in that lane instead of moving left or right when a big truck comes up behind you. A lot of times there is a truck lane restriction and we can not pass you without taking a risk of getting a high $ ticket for moving left another lane.

 

That is very true, I was talking more about city streets. In Ontario I know that truckers are restricted to two lanes on the 400 series highways. If I see a rig comming up pretty quick behind me, I'll move over and let him pass same with cars.

 

Sorry ladies, your not going to like this one, however if anyone has noticed it is almost always the women drivers that do not merge properly. I never realized how poorly women drivers were until I started driving a truck otr. My husband and I have a little game we play of 'whos merging -man or woman' we have gotten to were we get it right almost every single time. Start watching (gives you something to do to break the monotony of drving) the women come down the ramp slowly and hesitate before merging, men tend to come flying down the ramp and speed ahead to get there before the truck. Not the women they keep the same slow speed without slowing down or speeding up. They expect the truck to give them the right of way every time. If we happen to get a woman that doesn't we figure she must be a truck driver at home offduty for a few days. Whoever said women were better drivers had to be a woman. It is true they do not have accidents - they just cause the accidents as everyone crashes behind them. Makes me wonder if I drove like that before driving a truck!

 

Pardel, I agree to a point. But I find there is an epidemic of people on cellphones, who are totally unaware of anything going on around them. And, they are not usually women in my experience. They are men. Lots of them are truck drivers and it shocks me. Oh well. Without my blue tooth I dont speak on the phone!

 

I have noticed the "YIELD" sign is quickly becoming a thing of the past. A few jurisdictions still use them, but, many are just using a "MERGE" sign and letting the drivers sort out who has the right of way. This adds confusion to an already tricky situation.

How many times have you seen the entire interstate come to a near halt because the slow driver in the right lane moves left, without speeding up, so the driver who should be yielding while entering the interstate doesn't have to. Sure, it may be the polite thing to do, but do it safely and look to see what other traffic may be about to zip past before you pull out there and cause five miles of panic stops. Meanwhile, the driver merging can just wait for an opening.

I try to not drive for other people. In other words, I hold my lane, and my speed. I don't speed up, nor, slow down for merging traffic. Most of the time, unless dealing with an idiot, this keeps things flowing fairly smooth.

I heard a driver say, on the C.B., "I'm a center-lane sissy, and, I'm skeert. Leave me alone. If I drive in the right lane I might fall off the road." I had to laugh. He sounded believable.